“The only absolute knowledge attainable by a man is that life is meaningless”. In this modern world, we are often driven by the aforementioned banal adage of Leo Tolstoy. The pejorative undertones employed by Tolstoy have been taken out of context by the perpetual pessimist. Do not get me wrong, life is not a quixotic dream and oftentimes the battles won by us might seem pyrrhic but life, in general, is too colourful to be viewed disparagingly.

In my pursuit of happiness, I stumbled upon my window to happiness - Women in Indian Films. I can already sense the judgemental stares my snobbish readers are giving me right now (all thanks to parapsychology). Trust me, I am sure of convincing you and winning you over.

Let me teleport you all to the 1950s Calcutta. The fresh breath of independence was bringing in a whirlwind of changes in every aspect of Indian life - cinema being one such avenue. From being a male-dominated industry catering to a niche audience, the early 50s are corroborative of a paradigm shift in the general approach towards film and also witnessed the rise of Ray’s school of movie direction. His movies plodded on themes that were considered to be presumptuous and way ahead of his times.

The most eye-catching aspect of Ray's films was how he diligently chose to portray his leading ladies. Let me elucidate the same by citing his movies.

i) Women were (and are) often considered to be innate beings who are often not allowed to express their physical desires. It is nothing short of a scandal for a woman to overstep the boundaries set by the society. However, in Charulata, a 1964 film, which was adapted from Tagore's Nastanirh (Broken Nest), Ray masterfully portrayed the undeniable attraction Charu, the female lead, felt towards her husband’s cousin and vice versa. He does not condone her affair but rather chooses to address the reason that drove her to do so.

ii) Strong independent women are often misconstrued as “ femme fatale ” even today. But Ray’s women were very much above these regressive stereotypes. Nayak (Hero) movie is a fine example of how Ray showcased independent women. The lady protagonist runs her magazine. In a chance encounter with the superstar of Bengali cinema, she gets to interview him and this interview forces him to introspect every critical decision he made in his life. She chooses not to publish the interview citing the ethics of journalism as she feels that it would be completely lecherous and immoral on her part to encash someone’s misery. Surprising isn’t it. Contemporary women protagonists often fail to carry the grace and sophistication that Ray’s heroines once did. I do not mean to sound patronizing but it is the hard-hitting truth. Female actors have been merely reduced to serve as eye candies and it is indeed disturbing.

If the essential ingredient of my relaxation is snatched away from me, I am not sure what I would cling on to. Nonetheless, all is not lost. Movies like Pink and Queen serve as the torchbearers for good content-driven movies. Hope women characters if not extolled are exhorted.